(Integrative Medicine) - Although medications are commonly used to treat people with anxiety, a new study has found that passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) may calm the nerves as effectively as some drugs. Roughly 4 million Americans currently have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), an illness characterized by 6 months or more of chronic, exaggerated worry and tension. In the current study, researchers randomly assigned 32 people with GAD to receive either passionflower or oxazepam (an anti-anxiety drug) for 4 weeks. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in anxiety symptoms after 4 weeks of treatment and those who took the herbal remedy had less impairment on job performance. "The results suggest that [passionflower] is an effective drug for the management of generalized anxiety disorder," the researchers conclude.

References

Akhondzadeh S, Naghavi HR, Vazirian M, Shayeganpour A, Rashidi H, Khani M. Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxezepam. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001;26:363-367.